COLOMBIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —What happened Troops report four dissidents killed in Sunday’s Catatumbo air strike.
- —The target A Frente 33 camp between Tibú and El Tarra, Norte de Santander.
- —Weapons El Tiempo and La Opinión report 12 rifles found at the camp.
- —Wounded Three soldiers were flown to a Cúcuta clinic, two outlets report.
- —Still open The president’s promised official results report had not appeared Monday.
Colombian troops report four FARC dissidents killed in an air strike in Catatumbo, on the Venezuelan border. The president ordered the raid but had not published his promised official toll by Monday afternoon.
Colombian troops report four FARC dissidents killed in Sunday’s air strike in Catatumbo, a cocaine region bordering Venezuela, La FM reported. Colombia is the main source of cocaine sold in the United States, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Blu Radio reported the same count of four bodies on Sunday, citing preliminary information from official sources. President Abelardo De La Espriella said on X that he personally ordered the bombing of the Frente 33 dissident unit.
What the Troops Report
La FM said on Monday that the troops do not rule out more bodies, because a landslide followed the bombing. It said landmines and the threat of drone attacks were slowing access to the site.
El Tiempo reported on Sunday evening that judicial police reached the camp and found four bodies and 12 rifles. Semana and La Opinión said about 20 fighters were believed to have been in the camp, where digging went on.
Noticias Caracol called the raid Operación Beta and said Kfir jets and a Black Hawk helicopter took part. It said the authorities reported no harm to civilians nearby.
Three Soldiers Wounded
A captain and two professional soldiers were flown by Army helicopter to a Cúcuta clinic on Monday morning. La Opinión and Caracol Radio reported that they were wounded in combat after the strike, one seriously.
Neither outlet attributed the report to an official statement. The armed forces’ news site carried no item on the raid by Monday afternoon.
The Target and the Order
The main target was Carlos Eduardo García Téllez, known as Andrey Avendaño, a Frente 33 leader, El Tiempo and La FM reported. El Tiempo said its sources had not confirmed whether he or other commanders were among the dead.
De La Espriella said he kept in direct contact with the Defence Minister and the military high command. In a radio exchange he later released, he told Defence Minister Jorge Mora, “Excellent, general, I await the result,” La Opinión reported.
Why the Strike Matters
It is De La Espriella’s fourth bombing since he took office on 7 August, Caracol Radio and La FM reported. Both outlets said the president was expected to deliver a full report on the results.
Air strikes are contested in Colombia because armed groups recruit children. In September, a family court judge lifted a suspension on bombings but added safeguards for child recruits, The Rio Times reported.
Frente 33 operates across Catatumbo and along the Venezuelan border, Infobae reported, citing intelligence reports. Authorities say it is financed by cocaine laboratories, coca crops and extortion, Infobae said.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the strike shows Bogotá turning air power on cocaine-financed armed groups along the Venezuelan border. The previous government had suspended arrest warrants for Frente 33 leaders to ease peace talks, Infobae reported.
For investors, Catatumbo lies in Norte de Santander, the border department around Cúcuta. A victims’ association leader told La Opinión that the armed conflict makes companies reluctant to invest there.
What Is Not Known
The official statement with the toll could not be opened, because the president’s consolidated report had not appeared by Monday afternoon. Caracol Radio called the count of four unofficial, and La Opinión said the government had given no results.
Whether more rifles were found beyond the 12 that El Tiempo and La Opinión reported is not known. The identities of the dead, and whether more bodies lie under the landslide, remain unconfirmed.
What Comes Next
De La Espriella has said he will report the results once the official information is consolidated. Forensic teams were expected to keep digging at the site, Semana and El Tiempo reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people died in the Catatumbo air strike?
Troops report four dissidents killed, La FM and Blu Radio reported, citing military and official sources. No official toll from the president or the Defence Ministry had been published by Monday afternoon.
Who was the target of the strike?
The target was a Frente 33 camp linked to the dissident commander known as Calarcá. Outlets named Andrey Avendaño, a Frente 33 leader, as a main objective.
Were civilians harmed?
Noticias Caracol said the authorities reported no harm to civilians in the nearby rural areas. It said officials were still checking whether minors were among the dead.
Does the strike affect travel to Colombia?
Catatumbo is a remote conflict zone far from Colombia’s main tourist routes. Travellers should follow the US Embassy in Bogotá for security alerts before visiting border areas.
Sources: President Abelardo De La Espriella on X; La FM; Blu Radio; El Tiempo; Semana; Noticias Caracol; La Opinión (wounded soldiers); La Opinión (operation); Caracol Radio; Infobae (all accessed 12 October 2026).